I would try putting into a bag of rice. It might work, and save you a few bucks. The 8800 isn't made anymore, so it might be hard to find another head. Just my 2 cents.
Randy
N4QWK
-----Original Message-----
From: Steven P. Rogers, RN <srogers1198@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Mon, 12 Oct 2020 23:55
Subject: [Yaesu-FT-60] Damaged ft-8800 head
I managed to spill a drink onto my ft-8800 head and now it will not turn on and there is water visible under the display screen.
Is there any way to fix this or can I buy just a head to replace it?
|
I managed to spill a drink onto my ft-8800 head and now it will not turn on and there is water visible under the display screen.
Is there any way to fix this or can I buy just a head to replace it?
|
Thank you Chris.?
I’ll research the website; no drilling holes in my truck. I’m looking at some window mount options on gigaparts as the aluminum body may not like a mag mount one.?
I wanted a ft3dr to start with and grow into it but the id52 is coming soon; so I’ll wait and see. In the interim, ft60 gets me the wide receiver band I needed. Plus I’ll fire up echo link when call sign is available- that’ll fill my appetite for long
distance over digital.?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Oct 12, 2020, at 10:17 PM, Chris Smart <ve3rwj@...> wrote:
?
Hi.
Congratulations!!
And also, that's very wise not going with a Baofeng as your first radio. :)
The stock antenna leaves a lot to be desired.
I'm a fan of the antennas from
They're flexible, light, cheaper than the competition, and they support a good cause. They also sell SMA-to-BNC adapters, in case you want to put one on your HT and then use BNC connectors on everything you attach. And, don't forget to add a couple of the
washers for the FT-60 to your order... they fill in that gap around the connector.?
I'm not sure what to suggest for your vehicle. Do you want to install something permanent? If not, a mag-mount might be just the thing. Commet and Diamond both sell dual-band whips of various lengths. Longer is better, especially if you're just going to
run 5 watts from the HT... you need all the gain you can get.
Chris
On 2020-10-12 6:08 p.m., Vijay Guneta wrote:
Good day group!
Im brand new to the world of radio- been passionate about it for years but just cleared my exam, awaiting call sign. I did buy a new FT60R for my first radio. What antenna does the group recommend I use for?
-1> Normal day to day use and?
-2> for my truck?
Thank you.?
Regards,
Vijay (VJ) Guneta
|
Thank you and thanks a ton for revealing your “secret sauce “! Makes sense.?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Oct 12, 2020, at 10:18 PM, Chuck Moore via groups.io <wd4hxg@...> wrote:
?
Vijay
Congratulations and welcome to the ranks of amateurs. Glad to
have you with us.
In reference to your query on the FT-60 and appropriate antennas the answer is:
'it depends'.
As far as operating the hand held in hand, the stock antenna in my opinion is the
best. The engineers at the factory took the time to select it and evaluate its suit-
ability for use with the handheld.? I have tried differing antennas over the years
for handheld operation and non really ever performed that much better than the
stock antenna provided unless it included ground radials or a length that made the
antenna unwieldy to use.
If I am traveling I take along an antenna I made using RG-316A. To make the antenna
I strip off about 20 inches of the outer teflon insulating cover. With a pair of tweezers
carefully spread the shied braid where the shield meets the outer teflon insulation.
Carefully expand the opening in the shield until you can slip the point of the tweezer
inside the braid and start lifting out the insulated center conductor. Pull the center
conductor all the way out from the portion of the shield with no telfon cover left on
it. Now pulled the shield taut and do the same with the exposed insulated center
conductor.? The remaining coax you have, generally two to six feet is left unmolested
and terminated with an SMA male connector. Find a VSWR meter and trim the dipole
elements to midband of the 2 meter allocation. Make a similar antenna for the 440
frequencies. Just make the exposed shield and exposed center insulated wire about
7.5 inches and trim to resonance by watching the VSWR. They are good for travel
as you can toss them in a suitcase. Once in the hotel simply tape the antenna elements,
(bare shield and insulated center conductor to the hotel window with clear tape of
electrical tape at each end to the plate glass, aligning the elements vertically so you
are in the same polarization as the repeater antenna. Tape the coax for a couple of
inches also so it tracks away from the dipole at 90 degrees. Connect to the handheld
and ham it up.
For mobile use find yourself a magnet mounted vertical for the top of the auto. Generally
the door seals allow enough flex to pass the coax through a door without damage. If necessary
you can route it through the window and seal the window with HVAC tape to abate the
wind noise.
Regards
Chuck WD4HXG
Now find some cardboard or poster board. Cut a couple of strips of the cardboard or
poster board long enough
On October 12, 2020 at 8:41 PM, "Vijay Guneta" <vijayguneta@...> wrote:
Good day group!
Im brand new to the world of radio- been passionate about it for years but just cleared my exam, awaiting call sign. I did buy a new FT60R for my first radio. What antenna does the group recommend I use for?
-1> Normal day to day use and?
-2> for my truck?
Thank you.?
Regards,
Vijay (VJ) Guneta
|
Re: SHOULD YOU USE OFF BRAND BATTERIES IN TWO-WAY RADIOS?
I am using Maha 2700mAH AA cells ... Ray-O-Vac NiMH 2400mAH ... and just received a set of "powerOwl" 2800mAH AA cells that I am charging for their first time right now.
I am using a??Maha C-801 charger. They also offer a model C-908 - but I am not familiar with that one. HRO carries it:?
Properly maintained with these chargers, expect 500-1000 discharge-charge cycles from NiMH cells.
I have also use Amazon's alkaline AA cells in FBA-25 trays.
Fitting? Sometimes tight - but alway do-able.
Clint
--
Clint Bradford K6LCS
http//www.work-sat.com
|
Vijay
Congratulations and welcome to the ranks of amateurs. Glad to
have you with us.
In reference to your query on the FT-60 and appropriate antennas the answer is:
'it depends'.
As far as operating the hand held in hand, the stock antenna in my opinion is the
best. The engineers at the factory took the time to select it and evaluate its suit-
ability for use with the handheld.? I have tried differing antennas over the years
for handheld operation and non really ever performed that much better than the
stock antenna provided unless it included ground radials or a length that made the
antenna unwieldy to use.
If I am traveling I take along an antenna I made using RG-316A. To make the antenna
I strip off about 20 inches of the outer teflon insulating cover. With a pair of tweezers
carefully spread the shied braid where the shield meets the outer teflon insulation.
Carefully expand the opening in the shield until you can slip the point of the tweezer
inside the braid and start lifting out the insulated center conductor. Pull the center
conductor all the way out from the portion of the shield with no telfon cover left on
it. Now pulled the shield taut and do the same with the exposed insulated center
conductor.? The remaining coax you have, generally two to six feet is left unmolested and terminated with an SMA male connector. Find a VSWR meter and trim the dipole
elements to midband of the 2 meter allocation. Make a similar antenna for the 440
frequencies. Just make the exposed shield and exposed center insulated wire about
7.5 inches and trim to resonance by watching the VSWR. They are good for travel
as you can toss them in a suitcase. Once in the hotel simply tape the antenna elements,
(bare shield and insulated center conductor to the hotel window with clear tape of
electrical tape at each end to the plate glass, aligning the elements vertically so you
are in the same polarization as the repeater antenna. Tape the coax for a couple of
inches also so it tracks away from the dipole at 90 degrees. Connect to the handheld
and ham it up.
For mobile use find yourself a magnet mounted vertical for the top of the auto. Generally
the door seals allow enough flex to pass the coax through a door without damage. If necessary
you can route it through the window and seal the window with HVAC tape to abate the
wind noise.
Regards
Chuck WD4HXG
Now find some cardboard or poster board. Cut a couple of strips of the cardboard or
poster board long enough
On October 12, 2020 at 8:41 PM, "Vijay Guneta" <vijayguneta@...> wrote: Good day group! Im brand new to the world of radio- been passionate about it for years but just cleared my exam, awaiting call sign. I did buy a new FT60R for my first radio. What antenna does the group recommend I use for? -1> Normal day to day use and? -2> for my truck?
Thank you.?
Regards,
Vijay (VJ) Guneta
|
Hi.
Congratulations!!
And also, that's very wise not going with a Baofeng as your first
radio. :)
The stock antenna leaves a lot to be desired.
I'm a fan of the antennas from
They're flexible, light, cheaper than the competition, and they
support a good cause. They also sell SMA-to-BNC adapters, in case
you want to put one on your HT and then use BNC connectors on
everything you attach. And, don't forget to add a couple of the
washers for the FT-60 to your order... they fill in that gap
around the connector.?
I'm not sure what to suggest for your vehicle. Do you want to
install something permanent? If not, a mag-mount might be just the
thing. Commet and Diamond both sell dual-band whips of various
lengths. Longer is better, especially if you're just going to run
5 watts from the HT... you need all the gain you can get.
Chris
On 2020-10-12 6:08 p.m., Vijay Guneta
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Good day group!
Im brand new to the world of radio- been passionate
about it for years but just cleared my exam, awaiting call sign.
I did buy a new FT60R for my first radio. What antenna does the
group recommend I use for?
-1> Normal day to day use and?
-2> for my truck?
Thank you.?
Regards,
Vijay (VJ) Guneta
|
Good day group!
Im brand new to the world of radio- been passionate about it for years but just cleared my exam, awaiting call sign. I did buy a new FT60R for my first radio. What antenna does the group recommend I use for?
-1> Normal day to day use and?
-2> for my truck?
Thank you.?
Regards,
Vijay (VJ) Guneta
|
Thank you, Clint.
If I hadn't found that Yaesu VAC-370 on ebay (I believe that it was the same one mentioned by Chuck Moore), I probably would have ordered one from batteriesamerica.
But I liked the idea of an original Yaesu one at a relatively reasonable price (compared to a non-Yaesu product, or to the historically expensive $70-something that was the list price of the VAC-370 when it was still available new from dealers).
So, I purchased the one on ebay, and it works as expected.
This unit (the VAC-370, and the one from batteriesamerica, too) has three features that the new SBH-13 does not:
- Drop-in. Actually drop-in. You don't have to try once and again, impatiently, to align and insert the radio into the cradle. Just drop it in, maybe push a little, and that's it.
- Multi-chemistry (NiCd and NiMH). Yes, NiCd batteries are obsolete and if you still have them, they probably are useless... But maybe not.
- Smart (?) and fast. Not so sure about the "smart" part, but it is fast! It does in 1-2 hrs. the same task that takes 3-4 or more hours to the SBH-13.
<rant>I'm disappointed that Yaesu doesn't offer an equivalent solid smart charger for the FT-70D. I wish they include the SBH-28 with the radio, and offer a more hefty and faster one as an option. And a 6xAA battery case, too. Anyway.</rant>
Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions! Stay safe!
73 de W6EUH
Marcelo
?
|
Re: SHOULD YOU USE OFF BRAND BATTERIES IN TWO-WAY RADIOS?
Were you charged extra tax, and did it come with a free hypodermic needle with that "California Model?"
Randy
N4QWK
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Walls <swalls46@...>
To: [email protected] < [email protected]>
Sent: Mon, 12 Oct 2020 10:08
Subject: Re: [Yaesu-FT-60] SHOULD YOU USE OFF BRAND BATTERIES IN TWO-WAY RADIOS?
The newer--'California model' they sell now will NOT charge from the side power connection.
Older ones will charge with power applied there.
I do not know when the change occurred.
I ordered 3 FNB-V94s from Batterys America-----1800ma
Seemed like they took 6-10 charge cycles to get to full capacity.
They are Yaesu batts with the 3 terminals
I don't see much difference in battery life-----
I have found the battery trays to be iffy---hi capacity batts---are bigger.? I have trimmed the internals a bit to make them fit.? ? It is just a pain to take them apart and pop the batts out to charge.
Steve? ?K4ELI
|
Re: SHOULD YOU USE OFF BRAND BATTERIES IN TWO-WAY RADIOS?
The newer--'California model' they sell now will NOT charge from the side power connection.
Older ones will charge with power applied there.
I do not know when the change occurred.
I ordered 3 FNB-V94s from Batterys America-----1800ma
Seemed like they took 6-10 charge cycles to get to full capacity.
They are Yaesu batts with the 3 terminals
I don't see much difference in battery life-----
I have found the battery trays to be iffy---hi capacity batts---are bigger.? I have trimmed the internals a bit to make them fit.? ? It is just a pain to take them apart and pop the batts out to charge.
Steve? ?K4ELI
|
Re: SHOULD YOU USE OFF BRAND BATTERIES IN TWO-WAY RADIOS?
Slipping back to "should you use" I found that no matter what the advert says not all are alike........grin.
I went on line to buy replacement and add'l batteries for my pair of -60s.
I forget exactly which company I ordered from ....... "QVB" maybe...........
Their advert implied that V 57 and FNB 83 and FNB 94 were all compatible and usable with the FT-60R.
I ordered 3.
I found that the 3rd contact that allows the battery to charge in the Vertex desk-top charger that came with the radio is not there.
I also found that although the set will operate with the big wall-wart cord plugged into the side port, it won't charge batteries through it.
Life is a continuing education........
See pictures of what WON'T work................ grin
Dave J. -- AF0DJ
Stay Safe. When you DO go out, if appropriate, mask up to help protect the rest of us,
THINK a lot about what you are doing, and Wash Hands often.
|
Re: SHOULD YOU USE OFF BRAND BATTERIES IN TWO-WAY RADIOS?
Clint - what brand(s) of NiMH do you find that fits the tray well?? I'm finding many that don't, or don't live all that long.?
On Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 16:26 Evan Platt < evan@...> wrote: That website that the OP created has to be the worst clickbait ever.
I've used aftermarket batteries in every two way radio I've ever
owned. About the only thing I wouldn't use aftermarket batteries in is
my drones.
On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 12:46 PM Clint Bradford via
<clintbradford=[email protected]> wrote:
>
> [Edited Message Follows]
> [Reason: Typo]
>
> I am using 2800mAH NiMH AA cells in an FBA-25 shell.
>
> That’s twice the capacity of the stock pack.
>
> I more-than-again double battery run time by improving my antenna and turning TX power down to 2W: If I am not making it at 2W with improved antenna line-of-sight, then I won’t be at 4-5W.
>
> And to save even more battery life - I use a speaker-mic and/or earpiece.
|
Re: SHOULD YOU USE OFF BRAND BATTERIES IN TWO-WAY RADIOS?
That website that the OP created has to be the worst clickbait ever. I've used aftermarket batteries in every two way radio I've ever owned. About the only thing I wouldn't use aftermarket batteries in is my drones. On Sun, Oct 11, 2020 at 12:46 PM Clint Bradford via groups.io <clintbradford@...> wrote:
[Edited Message Follows]
[Reason: Typo]
I am using 2800mAH NiMH AA cells in an FBA-25 shell.
That’s twice the capacity of the stock pack.
I more-than-again double battery run time by improving my antenna and turning TX power down to 2W: If I am not making it at 2W with improved antenna line-of-sight, then I won’t be at 4-5W.
And to save even more battery life - I use a speaker-mic and/or earpiece.
|
Re: SHOULD YOU USE OFF BRAND BATTERIES IN TWO-WAY RADIOS?
I am using 2800mAH NiMH AA cells in an FBA-25 shell.
That’s twice the capacity of the stock pack.
I more-than-again double battery run time by improving my antenna and turning TX power down to 2W: If I am not making it at 2W with improved antenna line-of-sight, then I won’t be at 4-5W.
And to save even more battery life - I use a speaker-mic and/or earpiece.
Clint
--
Clint Bradford K6LCS
http//www.work-sat.com
|
Re: SHOULD YOU USE OFF BRAND BATTERIES IN TWO-WAY RADIOS?
I have read an alternative view on other platforms that think we can use off brand battery.
Rich
|
My favorite stations to listen to were:
Radio Nederland Radio Moscow? HCJB (Quito, Ecuador)
Radio Nederland had this great program called “DX Jukebox”. Or ?maybe that was HCJB. I don’t remember.?
I used to think R. Moscow came in so good all the time, considering how far away Russia is. ?At some point I learned about “relay stations”! ??
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Oct 10, 2020, at 9:08 AM, Chris Smart <ve3rwj@...> wrote:
?
Wow! I'm amazed Glen Houser is not only still alive, but still
doing his show!
When I was 9 or 10, I used to listen to his weekly show on WRNO
out of New Orleans... this would have been in the 1980's.
On 2020-10-10 11:34 a.m., terence via
groups.io wrote:
Raymond
For SWL Google Glen Houser, he covers the bands.
But its not like the old days when you didn't know what broadcast
station to listen to first.
Happy days
Best wishes on? your return
Terry G4MWP
Coventry UK
|
Wow! I'm amazed Glen Houser is not only still alive, but still
doing his show!
When I was 9 or 10, I used to listen to his weekly show on WRNO
out of New Orleans... this would have been in the 1980's.
On 2020-10-10 11:34 a.m., terence via
groups.io wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Raymond
For SWL Google Glen Houser, he covers the bands.
But its not like the old days when you didn't know what broadcast
station to listen to first.
Happy days
Best wishes on? your return
Terry G4MWP
Coventry UK
|
Raymond
For SWL Google Glen Houser, he covers the bands.
But its not like the old days when you didn't know what broadcast station to listen to first.
Happy days
Best wishes on? your return
Terry G4MWP
Coventry UK
|
My question started an interesting conversation. Admittedly it has been 20 years since I went on two meter. What a difference.
Also have noted a change in shortwave broadcasts from what I remember. So different. Used to be a lot of official government stations. Not anymore.?
Thank you for all the input.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Oct 9, 2020, at 9:59 PM, Mark Lassman via groups.io <kb6kgx@...> wrote:
? You can also blame cell phones, e-mail and internet for the lack of activity (from what you were used to) on the repeaters.?
Used to be, back in the day, that most repeaters would be fairly busy most of the time, some of which so much so that you could never get a word in edgewise because everyone was quick-keying and wouldn’t shut up for a second. Nowadays, I can spin the dial around to the 50 or so repeaters I have in my radio, and not hear a darn thing on any of them.?
KB6KGX
I am a returning ham after many years. Bought a Yaesu ft 60. Have located local repeaters. Able to transmit and see off the tone as well as receiving the I D Morse code. However I never hear anyone talking on two meters.
Again, I have been out of it for many years but I remember two meter as being active. Have things changed or did I make a mistake programming the radio?
|
Clint Bradford
Chris Smart
Marcelo Bornscheuer - W6EUH
Stephen Walls
Dave Jeffries AF0DJ